The campaign group Feeding the 5000 has welcomed Tesco's decision to report figures on food waste, but believes this is only the first step.

Campaigner Domnika Jarosz told ITV News:

We are pleased that Tesco has decided to report their food waste and have it audited by third parties, but we see this as a first step.

Supermarkets are responsible for far more than what they waste [in their supermarkets and distribution centres] because they control a large part of the supply chain.

Their strict cosmetic standards - which reject straight bananas and cracked cauliflowers, for example - mean there is a significant amount of waste before products even reach the shelf.

As a result of pressure from consumers, supermarkets and retailers are starting to compete with each other to see who can lead the way on food waste. We hope other supermarkets will start measuring their food waste.

Oxfam said the amount of food that is wasted when one billion people go to bed hungry at night "is nothing short of a scandal."

Oxfam's head of economic justice policy Hannah Stoddart said: "It is a damning indictment of a food system that places greater importance on corporate profits than ensuring everyone has enough to eat.

Oxfam said the amount of food that is wasted 'is nothing short of a scandal'. Credit: Steve Parsons/PA Archive

"It's great news that the biggest supermarket in Britain is taking tentative steps to tackle the problem, but we need urgent action like greater regulation and investment from governments worldwide to fix the system."

Tesco has revealed that 68% of salad to be sold in bags is thrown out - 35% of it in the home. Credit: PA Wire

Tesco is dropping some food promotions after finding that two-thirds of produce grown for bagged salad is wasted.

The supermarket giant has revealed food waste figures for its operations for the first time, revealing that 68% of salad to be sold in bags is thrown out - 35% of it in the home.

As a result of the findings, it is to end multi-buys on large bags of salad and is developing mix-and-match promotions for smaller bags in a bid to help customers reduce the amount they are wasting.

It is also removing 'display until' dates from fresh fruit and vegetables, using smaller cases in stores and rearranging 600 in-store bakeries to reduce the amount of bread on display, with the aim of better stock control and less waste.